PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hassan has expressed hope that the deadlock between PTI and the establishment would soon be resolved.
“The doors for dialogue with the establishment remain open,” he said in an interview with Voice of America Urdu. A clip of the interview was uploaded on the news website on Sunday.
Hasan has been part of the party’s meetings with political parties after his release earlier this month. He was arrested from the party’s central secretariat in Islamabad by the federal capital police. The FIA’s cybercrime wing booked Hasan and 11 others under Sections 9 (glorification of an offence), 10 (cyberterrorism) and 11 (electronic forgery) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca).
The PTI spokesperson has been reiterating the party’s stance on engagement with the establishment, alleging that the government holds no power.
Hasan was of the view that discussions between the establishment and PTI were “in the interest of the state and reiterated that PTI does not wish to involve” the establishment in politics. The path forward lies in dialogue, he said and acknowledged that power “currently resides with the establishment, not the government.”
When asked, Hasan stated that PTI leaders can have contact with the establishment on an “individual basis”. He mentioned this against the backdrop of the August 22 rally which was called off at the eleventh hour. Some ministers claimed that they had contacted some PTI leaders and facilitated Khan and leaders meeting with the request before the postponement.
He stated that the electoral mandate should rightfully belong to the people and called for the mandate to be “corrected” through legal processes or new elections. He indicated that after engaging with Parliament and the judiciary, PTI intends to mobilise on the streets, starting a nationwide movement on September 8, with rallies planned in major cities across Pakistan.
“The rally on September 8 will take place regardless of whether permission is granted,” Hasan said.
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Hasan refused to further details on official or unofficial talks with the establishment but stated that talks on an individual basis might be helpful.
Furthermore, the PTI spokesperson claimed that more parties are set to join the opposition alliance, revealing that an agreement has been reached with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl to formulate a joint strategy. He described the meeting between the PTI delegation and Maulana Fazlur Rehman as “very positive.”
He acknowledged that there were differences within the party.
